Cross My Heart
by liberifatales
Summary: We're so close, but so far. Will our hearts ever resonate as one? [This story focuses on post-Season 4 events between the Roses and trials Yumi, Yoshino, and Shimako face in their final year at Lillian Jougakuen. Eventual fanon couples.]
1. Chapter 1: Transitions

**_Disclaimer_**: I don't own _MariMite. _That honor goes to Konno Oyuki-sensei, Shueisha, and other related entities.

Story rated M for eventual _yuri_ feels and love scenes.

* * *

**CHAPTER ONE: Transition**

The advent of the springtime sun directed a symphony of pink _sakura_ explosions atop the trees lining the path to Lillian. After the Tokyo snow had melted, the humble buds blossomed into a stunning visual display of pink feathers. The season's gentle breeze stirred susceptible petals from their birthplaces and sent them spiraling downward towards the pavement. Young maidens who arrived nearly two hours before morning prayers barely noticed the pink rain as they strolled to the waiting iron gates of Lillian Girls' Academy.

On this path, Fukuzawa Yumi walked alone. In the early silence, her eyes studied the flickering sidewalk shadow play produced by the light rays trickling through the branches and dancing petals. She followed the cascade upwards, up to the empty buds that had once been miniscule green nodules along spindly, bare tree branches. None of the students on the path were close enough to see the normal mocha of Yumi's eyes darken to a subdued grey-brown. _It's almost as if Nature itself is changing to bid Onee-sama goodbye..._ Yumi recalled her first moments of consciousness that morning.

Graduation. A murky amalgam of emotion swirling around the forthcoming ceremony had kept Yumi awake, even as the digits on her alarm clock came into focus an hour too early. Try as she might, she couldn't stifle the flurry of thoughts that tore at the comforting embrace of restful oblivion.

Today and tomorrow. Two days of preparations that would feel like two weeks. The review of the choir and orchestra. Confirmation of the delivery time for flowers: those to be pinned and those to be handed out or arranged into bouquets placed along the outer edges of the auditorium seats. Pick up, sorting, and delivery of the diploma holders scheduled to arrive today. Final drafts of speeches to be turned in to the administrators' office. Then, Wednesday would finally come. The flower pinning ceremony, the auditorium packed with proud parents and well-wishers, the speeches, and the inevitable farewell to the class of third-years.

_Sayounara_. In just three days, with her Onee-sama's final bow as a high school student, Yumi's whole world, whole existence would change.

It wouldn't be the first time the heiress had completely turned Yumi's world on its head.

"_Wait_." A purposeful tug of a sloppy sailor collar. Long, delicate fingers, a neat curtain of midnight black hair, a flawless alabaster mask, and brilliant sapphire blue eyes. The image, burned into the fibers of Yumi's heart for eternity, marked the moment she had started her metamorphosis from shy, timid, nondescript freshman to the person she was today.

Prior to that chance meeting, Yumi's whole being had trailed after Sachiko with unabashed alacrity. As a fan, she had been contented to watch from the sidelines as the proud blue-eyed goddess, generously descended from the heavens, glided across Lillian's campus to grace the ungrateful air, the unworthy ground. Yumi could appreciate Sachiko's presence on behalf of all of Japan if she was drafted for the task.

The statue of Maria-sama welcomed the melancholic Rosa Chinensis en bouton. She bowed her head and clasped her hands together in prayer. _Maria-sama, please lend me your strength and patience. Please help me-help us-through the challenges of the near future._

Challenges that Yumi would have to face without Sachiko by her side. The thought engulfed Yumi before she could swat it away. Did she have a right to phone her Onee-sama? To hope for sisterly outings now and then even as her Onee-sama would be busy adapting to college life? Or would it be better if she gave up?

"No!" Yumi exclaimed with a firm shake of her head. _This can't be the end!_ she thought. Her Onee-sama had already reassured her that they would remain sœurs after graduation. To dwell on this subject would cast doubt on her Onee-sama's words.

"No?"

"O-onee-sama?" Yumi immediately dropped her hands and turned to see _her_, large as life, infinitely more beautiful than any conjured memory. Already, the world was falling away, settling and molding itself into a picture of ladylike elegance clad in Lillian's dark green uniform. Paralyzed by the warmth pulsing around her heart, the same warmth that made it difficult to draw air into her lungs, Yumi fell into her Onee-sama's gaze.

No matter how many days passed, Yumi never grew tired of gazing into Sachiko's emotive eyes, the most accurate indicators of Sachiko's mood. Steel blue matched the hard edge of anger. Dull navy accompanied a sigh of exhaustion. Aquamarine danced with light contentment. Out of all the Chinensis sisters, Yumi was the best at using hue and shade to gauge Sachiko's unvoiced thoughts and 's color was electric blue for...

"My goodness, Yumi, I haven't said a single word, and you're already denying me?" Sachiko's tone was frigid enough to bring the winter snow back to Tokyo.

"That's not what I meant, Onee-sama! I wasn't denying you. I was just thinking about something and well, you know how I think out loud sometimes. I know it's not very ladylike and- I-I'm sorry!"

She stopped when she saw the corner of Sachiko's mouth twitch. "Onee-sama! You're making fun of me again, aren't you? Geez."

Sachiko, struggling against the urge to giggle, reached upward to cup Yumi's cheek. "How can I help it when your reactions are so cute?"

"C-cute?" she repeated. The compliment only intensified the heat generated by the feeling of Sachiko's hand against her skin.

Yumi was close enough to see shimmers sparking beneath the surface of twin electric blue pools. _I guess electric blue is for playfulness... _Her thoughts ended there. It was simply too hard to breathe when the blood was rushing through her brain so quickly.

"Have I rendered you speechless, my cute sœur?" Sachiko asked with a smile. Not her heiress smile, not her Ice Princess smile... but a genuine smile that only surfaced when Sachiko had fully thrown away her mask. The beauty of her Onee-sama's unguarded expression left Yumi reeling.

"O-onee-sama, I..." Yumi's heart lurched when she felt Sachiko's thumb trail across her cheek. Briefly, she leaned into the gesture and savored the increase in friction. _Onee-sama's hand is so... what am I doing?!_

The pools of blue, the smile, the gentle hand... all of it together was too much. She was going to do something stupid if she didn't pull back _now_.

"S-stop teasing me, Onee-sama!" she stammered. By sheer willpower, she gently brushed off Sachiko's fingers (ignoring the prickles of pleasure along her cheek and spine) and began walking towards the classroom buildings. "Even if I used my fingers _and_ toes, I still wouldn't have enough digits to count how many times I've heard the words, 'Can't you do something about those facial expressions of yours?'"

To Sachiko's credit, she maintained her composure after witnessing Yumi's imitation of her Onee-sama. Yumi, quite peeved, had even executed the subtle flick of Sachiko's bangs perfectly. Hiding a smile, she pressed her hand to her heart in mock distress. "Two days to graduation and my petite sœur insists on trivializing one of my most legitimate concerns. What have I done to deserve this?"

"Cut it out, Sachiko-sama. It's so obvious you're trying not to laugh," said Touko, falling in step with her Chinensis sœurs.

"Gokigenyou, Touko!" Yumi said, reaching for Touko's hand. As always, Touko's cold exterior melted under her Onee-sama's unabashed affection. With a faint blush ghosting across her cheeks, she returned Yumi's warm greeting.

Sachiko, dismayed by the sudden disappearance of strawberry-scented warmth within arm's reach, tightened the grip on the handle of her schoolbag. She told herself to focus on the happiness blossoming between her petite sœur and cousin. Even as Yumi reached eagerly for Touko's hand. Even when Yumi's smile grew wide enough to fall off her face. But when Yumi reached upward to tuck a stray strand of hair behind Touko's ear, jealousy won the battle against Sachiko's resolve. "I wasn't aware that the spring season obliterated grace and good manners among the underclassmen," she said, directing her gaze to Touko.

"Surely you're not referring to me, Sachiko-sama?" Touko asked. Sachiko's silence was answer enough. Touko turned to Yumi. "Onee-sama, I wasn't being ungraceful, was I?"

Yumi was unable to get in a word before Sachiko answered, "Last time I checked, interrupting a conversation between two upperclassmen was considered rude, uncouth, unrefined-"

"And last time I checked you weren't my Onee-sama, Sachiko-sama." With a defiant tone and proud posture, Touko swept aside fourteen years of addressing Sachiko as exactly that. "Therefore, the duty of rectifying my behavior is none of _your_ concern."

"As the current Rosa Chinensis, I am obligated to guide _all_ of the Lillian student body on their path to moral righteousness."

"Oh, please. You and Rei-sama haven't been to the Rose Parlor for how long? Everyone knows that the two of you are merely figureheads at this point."

None of the groups of girls who usually bid Rosa Chinensis en bouton a good morning dared to approach, afraid they'd get scorched by the two bursts of aristocratic hellfire flanking their angel. Though Yumi was concerned, she knew it was better to let the argument between cousins run its path than to let the mood fester into something worse. She smiled apologetically at her admirers and steered her sœurs to their respective classroom buildings.

* * *

Lacquered wooden table, protective doilies, neat stacks of paper surrounding efficient Yamayurikai members. College entrance exams had kept her away from this scene during her third year, but that didn't mean Hasekura Rei would miss it any less. There were too many charged confrontations, too many plans enacted by scheming (but well-meaning) Onee-sama on their petite sœurs, too much laughter and camaraderie for Rei to completely cut away. Three years had dwindled down to three days. The table, titles, and all their responsiblities would soon be passed from Sachiko and Rei's dominion. To Shimako, to Yumi, to Yoshino…

"Rei-chan, why are you being so quiet? It's giving me the creeps!" said Yoshino loudly. She set a steaming cup of tea in front of Rei with a loud clatter. Her eyes never left Rei's as she settled into her chair on the other side of the table.

Yoshino's tempestuous display coaxed a weary blink from her older cousin. She was far too habituated to Yoshino's fiery temper to be phased by a simple tantrum. Before answering, she glanced at her tea and noticed that Yoshino had still been careful to add precisely two teaspoons each of cream and sugar, just as Rei liked it. The scowl on Yoshino's face was nothing too serious.

"I wasn't aware that being quiet was against the rules," she said, casually swirling her spoon in the beige liquid.

"Well, when you and I are the only ones in the room, it's weird that you're having a conversation with yourself when I'm right here in front of you!"

"Who said I had anything to say to you?"

Matching the ominous tone of Rei's words, the Rose Parlor door creaked open. The sound of soft footsteps preceded the entry of the Gigantea sisters. Yoshino, aware that her argument with her annoying cousin would have to be shelved away, struggled to regain some semblance of calm.

"_Gokigenyou_, Rei-sama, Yoshino-san," said Shimako and Noriko. Eager to escape the tense atmosphere brewing between the Foetida sisters, Noriko bowed, then busied herself with tea-making on the opposite side of the room.

"Have we interrupted something?" asked Shimako. A feud between the close Foetida sisters wasn't out of the ordinary, but she rarely saw so expectant a gleam in Rei's eyes.

"Not at all, Shimako-san," Yoshino answered, fists clenched and pressed against the tabletop. From the telepathic daggers Yoshino was shooting in her direction, Rei knew she'd get triple the earful from her annoyed cousin tonight.

"_Gokigenyou_, Yoshino-san, Shimako-san, Noriko-chan!" Yumi said as she walked in. Touko and Sachiko trailed slightly behind. "Ah, you're here too, Rei-sama?"

"_Gokigenyou_, Yumi-chan. Truthfully, I only planned on ordering my transcripts and returning home, but Sachiko said she wanted everyone here for an announcement."

"An announcement that requires all of us to be present to hear it?" said Yoshino, eyes following the incumbent Rosa Chinensis. The words sped out of her mouth, squealing through the air an octave higher than her usual pitch. Yoshino's grin was wide enough to split a redwood down the middle.

Sachiko, in complete contrast to Yoshino's barely-contained excitement, calmly settled into her seat at the head of the table. She addressed the council, "I do have an announcement, but it isn't urgent enough to delay the start of your meeting. Yumi tells me that you still have some logistics to discuss for the graduation ceremony."

For a moment, the only sound in the room was the intermittent creaking of wood as next year's council members shifted in their seats. Sachiko and Rei, fully relinquishing their duties to their petite sœurs, had not visited the Rose Parlor at all as soon as the second round of midterms for the second-years had passed. Though Sachiko made a point of attending school every day, she usually went home straightaway or, if she wanted to meet with Yumi or Touko, stayed in the library until the meetings were over. As for Rei, her post-school hours on the days she _did_ attend were spent smoothing the rough edges of the kendo club's transitionary period. Unsurprisingly, an air of discomfort accompanied the feeling of being scrutinized by the graduating Roses.

Shimako, who had held the title of Rosa Gigantea for over a year already, was, of course, the least affected member. She locked eyes with a frozen Yumi and requested the budding Rosa Chinensis to update everyone on the status of the diploma holders. And with that one calming sentence from Shimako, the Rose Parlor regained its normal diligent atmosphere.

"Why were they so nervous anyway?" Sachiko whispered to Rei. "It's not like we haven't been here before."

"Give them some slack. We weren't exactly relaxed when Youko-sama and Onee-sama dropped by last year," Rei replied, lips lifting at the memory of Sachiko tensing under Youko's evaluative gaze. "But you're right, judging from how smoothly everything's going, they didn't have anything to worry abou-"

"I forgot to turn this in!?" Yoshino's left hand trembled as she lifted a piece of paper. Rosa Foetida en bouton's signature long braids framed a face that soon matched the color of the paper between her fingers. The sunflower-shaped watermark on the back, the trademark symbol of the florist the Yamayurikai had dealt with for years, revealed the importance of the crinkled sheet. Her dilated pupils flicked rapidly across the page. "Th-there must be some kind of grace period here. A loophole, something…"

Rei gripped the teacup and focused on raising it to her lips in a controlled manner. The small action was meant to divert the restless energy in her legs to somewhere, anywhere that wouldn't have her rushing over to Yoshino's side. As much as she wanted to speak up-to scold or comfort her panicking cousin-she knew it was no longer her place to do so. Sudden interference from a soon-graduating senior would convey disapproval to the fledgling Roses. With inhuman restraint, Rei took another sip of the milky liquid in her cup. The acrid taste of worry drowned out the bitterness of the long-steeped tea.

"With some earnest deliberation, I'm sure I could convince the florist to deliver the flowers! It's not like this an order from us will take her by surprise. Lillian's always used that shop for graduation-"

"Yoshino-san."

"She _will_ forgive me, right? I mean this was just one time and-" Yoshino stopped mid-sentence when she felt a hand on her right shoulder. Her eyes drifted from the hand, up the arm, and finally, to two restless mocha pupils.

Yumi's lips wobbled into an uneasy grin. "Well, I know it's rude to interrupt, but…" With her other hand, Yumi reached for something on the table, then pressed it flat against the invoice. The words "Submitted Online Order - 03/17" in Yoshino's own handwriting glared pink on a yellow square of paper. "Err, I was with you when..."

"...when I submitted the order in the library computer lab," Yoshino croaked, eyes firmly planted on the wayward note. Everyone saw the weight of self-judgment press upon Yoshino's slumped neck and shoulders. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience I've caused."

"And here I thought the levels of hysteria in this council would decrease once Sachiko-sama graduated," Touko deadpanned. "I hope Nana-chan knows what she's getting herself into when she accepts that rosary."

"If she can even find her way through Yoshino-san's papers, that is," Yumi added with a smile. Laughter rang round the table over Yoshino's instantaneous look of indignant disbelief. Eventually, even Yoshino, quick to anger but never one to hold a grudge, couldn't resist and gave in to the infectious laughter.

"I think that was the last item on the agenda, Onee-sama," said Noriko, the first to calm down enough to speak.

Shimako herself took a moment to draw breath as she glanced at her papers. With a nod, she confirmed her petite sœur's assertion. To Sachiko, she said, "You can go ahead and give your announcement, Sachiko-sama."

Rei was barely aware of Sachiko rounding the table, handing thick cream-colored envelopes to each of her close friends. When Sachiko started speaking, Rei didn't even put up the pretense of listening; Yoshino was sure to relay the entire announcement verbatim on the walk home anyway. So instead, Rei traveled through time.

Ghosts of Youko and Eriko dragged freshman Sachiko and Rei into the room. A second-year Sei, the loser of the three-way race for a petite sœur, begrudgingly returned from buying celebratory drinks from the school vending machine. Fear, curiosity, and excitement roiled in her stomach as the reality of becoming "Rosa Foetida en bouton's petite sœur" finally sank in. By chance, she locked eyes with her fellow first-year. Outside, when they had first been introduced, Rei didn't think she would ever have the courage to meet the gaze of the elusive Ice Princess of Lillian, let alone talk to her. But in that moment when Rei saw a crack in the emotionless façade of the Ogasawara heiress, the fear mirrored in each other's eyes formed the first link of a deep, lasting friendship.

The scene disappeared. Memory morphed the loud, disgruntled Sei into a hollow shell left by the storm named Shiori. Youko had immediately stood up and hugged Sei. And after a while, even Eriko had reached for one of Sei's still hands.

More distant memories flitted through her mind's eye, images flashing as if under the operation of an overenthusiastic movie projector.

The first time she and Sachiko had called each other by their given names without honorifics.

Yoshino, quaking and clutching her rosary, as Eriko raised a speculative brow during their first meeting.

The rustling of papers into folders and folders into waiting schoolbags roused Rei from her memories. With an apologetic smile, she politely declined the others' offers to walk out, citing one final check of the Rose Mansion to _make sure_ she didn't leave anything. To her surprise, Yoshino did not protest and instead exited the mansion to procure a can of _mugicha* _from the machine. The Rose Parlor was finally empty.

This time, she did not succumb to the whispers of the distant past. In the light of the dusk, the room came alive with a vision of the future.

She envisioned Touko and Noriko trudging in, exhausted from the never-ending piles of responsibilities that came with gaining the title of _bouton_. At the tea station, Nana poured hot water from the spout of the electric water boiler into a waiting ceramic teapot. Around the table, Yumi failed to stifle a giggle as Shimako playfully evaded Yoshino's attempts to see her class notes. It was a scene that could take place in as little as two weeks.

Earlier, Rei had witnessed next year's council work smoothly, only faltering when they noticed Rei or Sachiko listening. It was amazing to see Yumi, who rarely spoke up during meetings as a first-year, patiently bridge opposing viewpoints between the Shimako's cool pragmatism and Yoshino's fiery passion. The three together would undoubtedly be a Rose Trio much-loved by the Lillian student body.

Visions of a happy, thriving council danced through the empty room, but Rei couldn't fully embrace the idea without feeling a little sad. Sad that everything was about to change. Sad that it would seem like she had never been here at all.

"Rei-chan, are you planning to spend the night here?"

Yoshino, standing a foot away, was no mere vision or memory. Gone was the pale, feeble girl frustrated with her body's limitations, the one who would cry and complain about activities forbidden by her heart condition. When the surgeons had operated on her heart, they had given Yoshino the opportunity to live the life she had always desired. Now, after a yearlong effort in the kendo club, her body was starting to catch up to the ferocity of her heart. The Yoshino of today stood a couple inches taller, face a little less soft, curves slightly fuller...

Rei tore her eyes away. Some things were changing, but she hadn't changed at all.

"If I said yes," she paused, hoping she had only imagined the desperation in her voice, "would you leave without me?"

"Leave you?" Yoshino closed the distance between them and interlaced their fingers. "You're stuck with me forever, b_aka_ Rei-chan!"

For a moment, no words passed between the two cousins. The silence and their shared gazes made it that much harder for Rei to deny the real reason she'd miss Lillian so much.

"Rei-chan, what were you doing in here anyway? And don't try to deny anything! I know for a fact that you didn't listen to a _word_ Sachiko-sama said earlier because you were preoccupied with something."

"We can talk about this on the way home. Aya-obasama* and _okaa_-san are probably worried that we haven't shown up yet."

"And whose fault is that?"

"Well, _you_ were the one who left to get a can of _mugicha_."

With Yoshino's palm warm against her own and Yoshino's nonstop scoldings ringing in her ears, Rei bid her tenure as Rosa Foetida farewell and walked out of the Rose Parlor for the final time.

* * *

*****Aya-obasama: I made up Yoshino's mom's name since I don't think it was ever mentioned in the anime.

* * *

_**Cultural Notes:**_

_- Sakura: _We've all seen gorgeous shots of these trees with pink blossoms in our favorite manga or anime. Unsurprisingly, they provide a pretty backdrop to many confession scenes or starts of the school year (hehe, see what I did there?). In reality, the most popular variety of _sakura_ trees in Japan have petals that only fall for a week before the new leaves sprout. S_akura _symbolize awareness of the ephemeral nature of life and a subtle wistfulness over its passing. (For more information, look up the Japanese concept of _mono no aware._)

_- Sayounara: _This word, often translated as "goodbye," is just as widely-known as _sakura _among anime fans. However, my Japanese teacher taught me it was more along the lines of "I'll see you when I have turned a new leaf," implying a very long period of separation between the conversationalists (e.g. you wouldn't say _sayounara _to someone you'll see tomorrow). "Farewell" would be a more appropriate translation.

_- Mugicha _is roasted barley tea. The taste of the roasted barley has a distinct nutty flavor and aroma with slight bitter undertones. People typically drink it cold, sweetened or unsweetened, during the spring and summer months.

* * *

_**Author's Notes:**_

Hi, readers! Just wanted to say that I'm writing this fic to address some of the subplots that the canon storyline left unanswered, so I can put my mind at rest.

Warnings:

- Though I will focus mainly on Sachiko & Yumi, I will explore the struggles and development of each fanon pair. As a result, this fic promises to be quite long. ._. Sorry?

- The narration is going to follow the mode of narration in the light novels (i.e. the limited third person perspective primarily restricted to Yumi and Sachiko with occasional delving into other characters' minds). This fic will match the pace of the light novels. In other words, the plot is going to be paced slowly relative to most other fictions.

- I will probably refer to events found in the light novels that didn't make it to the anime, but I won't rewrite them. I will designate those references with a * and a footnote at the end of the chapter.

- I may randomly add cultural notes at the ends of each chapter to provide some insight into Japanese culture and mood.

I hope this comes across as being somewhat faithful to the mood and tone, if not the plot, of the light novel and anime. Hope you're all ready for some good ole _MariMite-_style angst and melodrama!


	2. Chapter 2: Decisions

**_Disclaimer_**: I don't own _MariMite. _That honor goes to Konno Oyuki-sensei, Shueisha, and other related entities.

Story rated M for eventual _yuri_ feels and love scenes.

* * *

**CHAPTER TWO: Decisions**

"Yuuki," Yumi called, rapping her knuckles on her brother's bedroom door. After receiving no reply for the fifth time this evening, Yumi's patience had thinned to a thread. This time, she didn't hesitate before slamming her palm against the door. "Yuuki!"

The door finally swung open, revealing a sweaty Fukuzawa Yuuki. A chorus of electric guitars and heavy bass drum beats blared from the blue earbud dangling from his left ear. The music cut off. "What do you want, Yumi? I was in the middle of a free weight set," Yuuki said.

Despite her earlier annoyance, Yumi felt a little guilty for interrupting Yuuki's exercise session. As a student council member herself, she knew firsthand how difficult it was to find time for fitness during the busy graduation season. Her own fitness routine, which she'd recently started under Yuuki's encouragement, had fallen by the wayside recently.

She raised her head to lock eyes with her brother, who had grown more than a few inches in recent months. "Sorry, I just didn't want to forget to give you this."

Yuuki took the the thick cream envelope Yumi extended to him. Noting the elaborate floral engraving on the surface of the envelope, he said, "Fancy. What's it for?"

"Onee-sama came during yesterday's meeting to hand out invitations to her graduation party this Friday. Sayako-obasama figured Kashiwagi-san would appreciate it if some of his underclassmen showed up."

"Kashiwagi-senpai will be there? And he'd want me to attend?"

Yumi noticed a hint of red on Yuuki's cheeks. Surely, the sudden influx of color was just a delayed bodily reaction to his workout and not to the mention of his senpai... right? "You and all your other council members, I guess. Onee-sama told me that everyone else's got mailed out, but she figured it would be easier to make me a messenger for yours."

"Is that so?" Yuuki said, breaking into a grin. "I hope one of Dad's suits fits me or else I'm going to have to ask Masamune if he has any spares."

"You don't fit into any of your suits anymore?"

"Well, I tried one on today, and I couldn't get my arms through the sleeves..." Yuuki's monotone response and unfocused pupils belied the intense grinding of gears in his head. Soon, a deep red flush crept over his cheeks as he drew a sharp intake of breath.

As her brother fidgeted, Yumi found it increasingly difficult to keep a smile off her face. She had a pretty good idea about what-_who_-occupied Yuuki's thoughts; only one person could make her normally-placid brother grow so flustered. As Yuuki's older sister, she was _obligated _to confirm her hunch, no matter how embarrassing Yuuki would find it.

"Yuuki," Yumi said, "wouldn't it make more sense to ask Kashiwagi-san if you could borrow a suit?"

"Eh? How so? I don't want to bother senpai unnecessarily!"

Though Yuuki's flush had deepened enough to guide night ships into Tokyo harbor, Yumi managed to contain her growing smirk. "I'm sure he'd be more than happy to lend you a suit if it means you can attend Onee-sama's party."

"I'm not sure... Do you really think he won't mind?"

"If it's you, I'm sure he wouldn't mind _at all_ if you borrowed one of his suits."

Yuuki frowned, unsure of what his sister was implying with that comment.

"Yuuki, stop overthinking it. Kashiwagi-san would probably be _more_ than willing to watch you model suits in his room while you're choosing."

"What!? M-model? _Senpai_ and I aren't like that!"

"Are you sure? You turned _pretty_ red when I mentioned him."

"I wasn't red!"

"Well, you definitely are now!" said Yumi. Upon seeing Yuuki's resigned expression, she immediately burst into a fit of giggles.

"It's not that funny-No, it's not funny at all!" Yuuki sputtered. "D-don't you have some business to take care of for tomorrow!?"

Yumi's only reply was to laugh even harder, bending forward and pressing a hand against the door frame to keep herself from falling.

A heavy sigh escaped Yuuki. "Ugh, forget it. I'm just gonna finish my workout." With those words, Yuuki forcefully closed the door on the Cheshire cat in the doorway.

With a triumphant chuckle, Yumi bounced her way into her bedroom. The mirth propelled her through her usual nighttime rituals as she brushed her teeth, changed into her pajamas, and laid out her uniform for tomorrow. And if she hadn't noticed the gleam of silver and rose gold on top of her desk, her good mood would likely have followed her into the world of dreams.

But the gleam out of the corner of her eye drew her like a moth to flame, prompting her slipper-clad feet to shuffle across her room. She picked up the shiny bracelet and placed it on a microfiber cloth she'd spread across her palm. She'd spotted the piece at a vendor near Lillian and Hanadera's transit station and purchased it after scraping together her leftover New Year money and allowance. Appearance-wise, the chain of white gold-plated links was fairly simple. It was the charms that would distinguish it from any other, and Yumi hoped that the ones she'd chosen would convey the deep affection and appreciation she felt toward her Onee-sama. The same Onee-sama who would be "making a joint announcement with Kashiwagi-san" at her graduation party.

Yumi might have had a reputation for being naïve, but she had no illusions about the subject of the announcement. The party's guest list probably featured pages of names of rich politicians, powerful business moguls, and other members of Japanese high-class society. In such a bright, elegant setting, it was obvious that Kashiwagi Suguru and Ogasawara Sachiko would announce their current engagement and perhaps even the date of the impending wedding ceremony.

The audience would erupt into cheers. The cousins would be married, and an heir would be produced to continue the Ogasawara legacy. Each step had been carefully planned by the Ogasawaras and the Kashiwagis to retain power within the family. Sachiko, dutiful and obedient, would never deviate from the role she was born to play.

The sequence of events was painfully familiar to Yumi. She often used the matter-of-fact review of her grande sœur's life trajectory to keep her emotions in control. To resist the urge to squeeze Sachiko's hand a little tighter or to lean into a hug longer than what was considered appropriate. To keep her focused on her Onee-sama's words instead of the shape and shimmer of her lips whenever they conversed.

A small white envelope lied next to the pile of notebooks on Yumi's desk. The speciously innocuous object held a letter that had the potential to irrevocably alter her relationship with her Onee-sama. After reading the letter, Sachiko might demand her rosary back and sever all ties, or even feel inclined to slap some sense into her perverse petite sœur. The thought of her Onee-sama's face full of contempt and disgust shook Yumi to her core.

_So why am I still going through with this? Why am I still confessing to Onee-sama?_

Under a layer of fear and denial, Yumi knew _exactly _why. In her dreams (and in the internal dialogue of her waking mind), the beautiful heiress was "Sachiko," not "Onee-sama," and they went out on dates as girlfriends, not sœurs. A fantasy Sachiko gave her sweet kisses, warm hugs, and whispered declarations of love in her ears. And sometimes, when the dreams turned into tangles of sheets and flesh, into a chorus of throaty moans and rapid breathing, Sachiko would...

"Maybe I should give this bracelet one last polish!" Yumi said aloud, uncomfortable with the direction of her thoughts. She hastily reached for the bottle of jewelry cleaner sitting next to the letter... and knocked it over. She could only groan as she watched the silver liquid spread, coating the pure white surface of her confession.

Yumi tried not to think of what the spill boded for tomorrow.

* * *

"Finally! I thought he'd never leave!" huffed Sachiko. She glared at the seat her grandfather's wizened steward had occupied. Today, during an hours-long meeting in the Ogasawara mansion study, every form and procedure pertaining to the wedding had been examined and critiqued.

Suguru cocked a brow in Sachiko's direction. "Oh, does _someone_ have an illicit liaison scheduled for tonight?"

"No, nothing of the sort," Sachiko replied tersely. Luckily for Suguru, she was too wound-up to react to his baiting.

Earlier, when the Tokyo sun had just dipped below the horizon, the steward had entered through the massive walnut double-doors of the study. The mundane round of handshakes and exchanged greetings was the high point of the meeting; it was the only time Sachiko didn't have an urge to set the businessman aflame.

As they slogged and signed their way through pages of legal jargon, questions from Suguru were answered with patient, thorough explanations; similar queries from Sachiko met explanations prefaced by the steward's heavy sighs and furrowed brows. When he asked the pair for an opinion, the man would set aside his fountain pen, lean forward, and nod along as Suguru offered his thoughts. The lawyer's pen was never faster, his eyes never duller or as fixated on the pile of contracts than when it was Sachiko's turn to contribute. It was painfully obvious that her grandfather's employee saw her as nothing more than a vessel for the next Ogasawara heir.

Suguru, who had grown up in close association with his cousin, knew exactly what caused her jaw to lock. "Sacchan, as tempting as it sounds, it wouldn't do to murder the steward."

"I would never!" snapped Sachiko.

"Oh, really?" Suguru's amused grin told her exactly how much he believed her.

She released the tension in her shoulders with a long sigh and muttered, "At least not by my own hand..."

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised if I see the steward floating face-down in the complex _koi_ pond tomorrow."

"With the way you've been carrying on, I'm considering adding you to the list of victims."

Suguru nervously uncrossed his legs. "You're... you're not serious, are you?"

"Not in your case, at least," she answered, focusing on the heavy full moon dominating the nightscape. Her eyes narrowed as she recalled one of the steward's blank smiles, one of his disinterested stares when she started speaking.

Suguru attempted to comfort his cousin. "Sacchan, he may have been slightly patronizing when he talked down to you-"

"He talked _through _me!" she hissed. Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the edge of the leather armrest. "He treated me as if my opinion, my responses, my _presence_ at the meeting didn't matter at all. He didn't even bother to _pretend_ he was listening when I offered an opinion about the contract phrasing. I'm lucky these are just preliminary negotiations."

Sachiko thought back to the bits of filler conversations they'd exchanged when documents were being scanned and copied. "How it possible that you got questions about the future direction of the company and I got questions about when the family could expect my first child? And why did he look like he was going to have a coronary anytime I even _hinted_ that I planned on assuming an active role in the company?"

She reclaimed her seat and bitterly mused, "Maybe he thought I'd settle for applying my business economics degree to household management."

Suguru shrugged. "Fire him when you 'take over the empire.' Or have your plans of company domination changed recently?"

Suguru's words jostled buried memories of a night long past. A night that still brought twinges of anguish and anger every time she remembered. With a hard edge to her voice, she replied, "No, that has always been the plan and always will be."

Before either of them could say anything more, the mellifluous notes of a muted tenor saxophone floated through the tense air. Suguru withdrew his phone and glanced at the screen. His expression relaxed into a slight smile.

Though Sachiko would normally take offense at being ignored for a text message, she herself felt drained after the day's proceedings. She also didn't feel like discussing details of _that night _with her cousin. Still, Suguru's rapid change in demeanor intrigued her enough to stay a moment longer before retiring to her room. She cleared her throat to get Suguru's attention and asked, "Are you sure _you're _not the one with the illicit liaison?"

"Don't be silly, Sacchan. It's just Yukichi," Suguru said dismissively, tapping out a reply to a message. "It's been awhile since I've heard from him."

Sachiko had a feeling that her petite sœur's brother had never been "_just _Yukichi" to her cousin. The light dancing within her cousin's downturned eyes furthered her suspicions. "Well, I'll leave you be to converse with 'just Yukichi,'" she said, rising from her seat. "I'm afraid that it's far past time for me to retire."

"Well, I suppose that's my cue to leave as well," Suguru said. "I'll see you Friday?"

Sachiko nodded, too tired to say anything more. After exchanging parting pleasantries, the cousins soon split, aware that they would soon reunite on Friday. And on that night, through the joint announcement, she and Suguru would remove the last obstacle separating them from the rest of their lives.

And she would be one step closer to fulfilling the goal she'd conceived _that night. _Sachiko sighed, knowing that her bedtime routine would be flooded with vivid memories she'd tried desperately to suppress.

* * *

_Sachiko was heartbroken. Who wouldn't be after hearing her betrothed, her beloved claim that he would never-could never-love you because of his sexual preferences? Yesterday, on the eve of her high school entry celebration, her Dream Prince had ridden off on a rainbow horse, crushing her hopes for a marriage of love. And fifteen-year old Sachiko was left to pick up and glue together the pieces of her rejected heart._

_Today, Sachiko walked down the hallway to her father's study, hoping to have the impossible engagement called off. As she drew near, she noticed one of the dark mahogany double-doors was slightly ajar, allowing her father and grandfather's voices to leak through the gap. Due to their busy schedules, her father and grandfather were rarely home at the same time, and Sachiko thought herself truly lucky to catch both at the same time. She placed her hand on the door handle, but froze after hearing a peal of female laughter. _

_The voice belonged to Kawamoto Masako, one of the heiress's to Genki, a prominent company in the pharmaceutics industry. Masako, clad in a low-cut cream-white wrap dress, leaned forward to admire herself in the mirror on the office wall. The necklace shining against her pale skin was undoubtedly a present from Sachiko's father, who was standing behind her._ _"Touru-sama, you shouldn't have!" she gushed._

_"Anything for you, my darling," Touru said. He raised his hand and trailed his fingers down the curve of Masako's bare shoulder._

_Sachiko choked down a wave of vomit. The Ogasawaras had attended the Kawamoto twins' Lillian University graduation party the week prior. Knowing of your father's multiple mistresses was one thing, but knowing that one of them was half his age was another thing altogether._

_"But mine is so much grander!" squealed another voice that nearly matched Masako's tone and timbre. Dread churned in her stomach as Sachiko angled her head to peer at the other side of the room. Mayuki, the other Kawamoto twin, and Sachiko's grandfather mirrored the positions of the study's other occupants. "Exactly how many karats is this diamond, Akihiro-sama?" Mayuki asked, twirling the large brooch to admire the jewel's shine._

_"What nonsense are you spouting, Onee-san?" Masako interrupted. "Just from looking at it, mine is clearly worth more than yours!"_

_Before either twin could say anything more, Ogasawara Akihiro called loudly, "Masako-san, Mayuki-san... " He snaked his arm around Mayuki's waist. "It would be a travesty for two beautiful sisters to start quarreling."_

_Touru chuckled, then lightly squeezed Masako's shoulder before adding, "Take comfort in the fact that each of these necklaces, replete with jewels of the highest quality and luster, are probably worth more than my steward's salary for the next five years combined."_

_Perhaps it was her father's self-congratulatory expression and unashamed flaunting of the Ogasawara fortune. Or the way her grandfather never really looked at Mayuki's face, choosing instead to pay close attention to the generous dip in her neckline. Or maybe, just maybe, it was the glimmer in the Kawamoto twins' eyes that showed just _how_ easily they had been bought. Something-everything-about the scene shook Sachiko to her core. _

_If she and the Kawamoto twins shared the same upbringing, the same polished façade of blueblooded wealth, what made her think she was any different? If her father and grandfather had no qualms about using women as objects for pleasure, what made them think they would sympathize with her at all? _

_She thought back to the day when the betrothal had been made official between the Kashiwagis and Ogasawaras in one of the mansion conference rooms. After Sachiko and Suguru's parents had signed the agreement, her grandfather had called for a bottle of champagne to mark the occasion. She'd been too young, too blinded by infatuation to see that the adults weren't clinking glasses to celebrate a betrothal. They weren't downing the fizzy, pale-pink liquid out of excitement for a family union. Today, as she stood listening to the Kawamotos bicker over the value of their necklaces, she finally saw her impending marriage in its full dimensionality: a convenient tool to confine wealth within the family for another generation._

_Something within Sachiko snapped. _

_She ran. _

_After witnessing the scene in the study, she knew her only option was to settle things with Suguru directly. And so, like a woman possessed, she flew through through the long halls of the mansion, ignoring the incredulous looks from the household staff, until she turned the final corner into the guest wing. When she reached her destination, she wrenched the door open without preamble. _

_Deep-seated anger preserved her composure when she was greeted by a scene of her fiancee writhing naked beneath the son of one of the Ogasawara's business partners. Upon hearing the door swing open, both lovers turned to stare, eyes wide, at the sudden intruder. They immediately broke apart._

_"S-sacchan!" Suguru panted, pulling up the sheet to cover his body. His bed partner had already burrowed beneath the covers. "I can explain!"_

_"Kashiwagi-san," she said, ignoring how strange it felt not to address him as 'Guru-kun,' "You can spare yourself the trouble since I will make this brief. We are going through with this marriage." When Suguru opened his mouth, she stayed his speech with a wave of her hand. _

_She proceeded, "In return, I will turn a blind eye to your philandering. But do not-do _not_-interfere with my campaign to take over the empire." She turned heel and walked out of the room, not even bothering to wait for Suguru to reply to her bold proclamation._

* * *

Sachiko supposed that was the day she had fully metamorphosed into Lillian's Ice Princess. The cool detachment stayed constant during her first one-and-two-thirds years at Lillian. When Youko took Sachiko as her petite sœur, the Yamayurikai did all they could to befriend her. At her Onee-sama's behest, she'd stopped the extra lessons in flower arrangement, tea ceremony, and etiquette to focus on her council work. Because they were in the same year, she and Rei had been often paired and constantly ran errands together for their older sisters. But no matter how close the Yamayurikai got, no matter how many times they had strived to engage her on a personal level, Sachiko kept her distance.

Until she'd met Yumi.

Sachiko gazed fondly at the framed photo sitting atop her bedside night table. Maria-sama's stone gaze oversaw the scene of Sachiko leaning forward to fix Yumi's crooked sailor scarf. What made the photo so unique wasn't the scenery or the subjects, but the expressions on each of their faces during the interaction. In Yumi's wide eyes and slight blush, Sachiko recognized an adorable mixture of disbelief, bashfulness, and curiosity. Strangely, as easy as it was to name Yumi's emotions, she could not do the same for her own.

To this day, Sachiko still didn't know why she had been drawn to the petite brunette standing at the statue. Reaching out to her underclassmen in such a direct and intimate manner was not only foreign to a fully cognizant Sachiko but downright alien to one suffering from her daily morning bout of low blood-pressure. Even more puzzling to the heiress was just how close she and Yumi had grown during their sœurship. With saintly patience and her own distinct, bright energy, Yumi had somehow braved her way past Sachiko's cold façade, infiltrated her defenses, and wormed her way into a place deep within the heiress's heart.

Sachiko, unaware of the soft smile on her face, reached forward as she glanced at Yumi's still profile for the umpteenth time. "Goodnight, Yumi," she whispered softly, just as she did every night, before tugging on the lamp chain. On the eve of her graduation, the young heiress closed her eyes, lured into deep sleep by thoughts of her gentle petite sœur.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

- I figure that all the reflection is appropriate since Rei and Sachiko are graduating, but I realize that isn't the most exciting stuff to read. Like I said, this is probably going to be an extremely slow-paced fic with lots of table-flipping moments (just like that part of the summer OVA at Sachiko's house when the episode ended right before Sachiko and Yumi "lazed around with each other all day").

- Beta wanted! I've never had one before but there are a lot of times when I agonize about how a scene should go, if that scene is necessary, etc. I figure this usually means I should recruit a beta to either a) kick my butt or b) bounce some ideas off of. I'll beta for you if you beta for me? Is this how this works? LOL I AIN'T GOT NO CLUUUUE

- Thanks for the follows and reviews, y'all! :D


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